Exhaust end construction for hay curing chambers



April 2, 1935- ME 1,996,700

EXHAUST END CONSTRUCTION FOR HAY CURING CHAMBERS Filed July 28, 1933 2 she ts-sheet 1 April 3 I J. H.-FULMER 1,996,700

EXHAUST END CONSTRUCTION FOR HAY CURING CHAMBERS Filed July 28, 1935 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 2, 1935 V t UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE EXHAUST END CONSTRUCTION FOR HAY CURING CHAMBERS Joseph Henry Fulmer, Nazareth, Pa. Application July 28, 1933, SerialNo, 682,712 1 Claim. (01. 34.12)

This invention'relates to machines designed for An extension indicated by the reference charartiflcially curing hay orother forage crops, such acter l4 forms a part of the bottom, the extenas shown and described in my pending applicasion being disposed laterally of the housing Iii,- tion for Letters Patent, Serial Number 659,218, and of tubular formation to completely house one 5 filed March 1, 1933, the primary object of the end of the spiral conveyor l3, 5

invention being to provide improved means at An-opening I5 is formed near the outer end of the discharge and of the curing chamber of the the extension, and provides a discharge openmachine for utilizing the hay or material passing ing, through which material passes from the through the machine, in sealing the discharge machine.

end of the machine, thereby insuring against ex- Directly above the opening I5 is an opening I6 10 cessive loss of heat, with the discharge of the that affords means for venting the discharge end cured material from the machine. I of the machine.

An object'of the invention is to provide means This spiral conveyor is mounted on the shaft for loosening the ribbon or mat of dried material I! that is journaled in bearings l8 supported'by so that the material will be forced against the the frame of the machine, one end of the shaft 15 wall of the discharge screw trough, sealing the carrying a sprocket I!) over which the chain trough and reducing the loss of heat to a minioperates, the chain also operating over a submum. stantially small sprocket 2| mounted on one end With the foregoing and other objects in view, of the shaft 22 that is supplied with a pulley 23 20 which will appear as the description proceeds, over which a power belt, not shown, operates. 20 the invention resides in the combination and ar- The bottom II, is not only ofiset laterally, but rangement of parts and in the details of conis offset downwardly, so that the spiral'conveyor 'struction hereinafter described and claimed, it l3 operates at an appreciable distance below the being understood that changes in the precise emendless conveyor 1, to the end that the material 25 bodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may must fall downwardlyin its passage to the spiral 25 be made within the scope of what is claimed, conveyor. without departing from the spirit of the inven- As the material passes through the curin tion. chamber, the material is formed into a ribbon or Referring to the drawings: mat of uniform thickness, which ribbon or mat Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through is loosened or torn apart, by means of spikes 24 30 the discharge end of a curing chamber, constructthat are carried by the roll 25, mounted on the ed in accordance with the present invention. shaft 22, and disposed within the housing [0.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 As clearly shown by Figure 2 of the drawings, of Figure these spikes operate in close proximity to the Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 downwardly inclined wall 26 of the bottom, so 35 of ure that the material will be pulled apart and carried Referring to the drawings in detail, the referdownwardly to be carried off by the spiral conence character 5 designates the end wall of a veyor l3. curing chamber such as shown and described in It might be further stated, that due to the 40 my pending application, Serial Number 659,218, construction shown and described the spiral con- 40 filed March 1, 1933. veyor operates slowly, to discharge the material The end wall 5 of the curing chamber, is profrom the machine gradually. vided with a discharge opening 6, through which As the material passes to the spiral conveyor, the endless conveyor I moves, the endless conthe material is forced against the wall of the veyor operating over sprockets 8, mounted near trough in which the spiral conveyor operates, 45 the ends of the shaft 9. a completely sealing the trough, and preventing the As clearly shown by Figure 2 of the drawings, heat forced into the curing chamber from passa housing indicated generally by the reference ing directly through the machine, with a great character Ill completely houses the discharge end loss of heat.

of the conveyor 1, the conveyor extending an ap- .The housing in which the spiral conveyor is 50 preciable distance into the housing l0. mounted, is supported by means of the supports The in is f m wi h a bo tom H, 21, that may be of any desired construction. which is curved as at I2, providing a casing for Having thus described the invention what is the spiral conveyor I3, which moves in close proxclaimed is: imity thereto- The combination with a hay curing oven havfis et end portion disposed below the botcuring oven, the bottom of the offset portion being curved throughout its length, the

side walls of the 'oflset portion being inclined towards the curved bottom, a worm conveyor operating within the curved bottom and adapted to scrape the curved bottom, a laterally extended discharge .tube forming a continuation of the curved bottom, said tube having a discharge 10 opening near the outer end thereof, and said tube JOSEPH HENRY FULMER. l0 

